Telegraph-wire joint.



No. 635,007. Patented Oct. l7, I899. T. D. WILKINSON.

TELEGRAPH WIRE JOINT.

(Appl c nfildAp 1899) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT rEicE.

THOMAS D. XVILKINSON, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

TELEGRAPH-WlRE JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,007, dated October 1'7, 1899.

Application filed April 25, 1899. Serial No. 714- 375. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMASD. Winklnsofi, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain Improvements in Telegraph Wire Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to telegraphwire joints and to a specially-prepared connector by means of which the ends of the wires are joined to each other and belongs to that class of sheath-connectors consisting of one or two tubes of metal, into the opposite ends of which the line-wires are inserted and then the whole twisted together. In all such connectors that I am aware of the ends of the wires project through the ends of the tubes and are sometimes bent or turned to one side, and in all such devices a square sharp shoulder exists where the wire projects through the tubes, which is a serious disadvantage when the connected wire is drawn along over cross-arms and other supports,- as the shoulder catches upon them, and in order to free the same the wire has to be jumped or jerked, which causes it to bend near the shoulder and in a short time develops a fracture.

The present invention aims to provide a construction whereby the connected wires can be evenly and smoothly drawn over all obstructions and also whereby a more perfect electrical contact is maintained between the wires and the enveloping sheath, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents a wire-eonnector of the usual construction. Fig. 2 represents a wireconnector embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same before itistwisted. Figs. 4c, 5, G, and 7 show one con struction of the wire-connector and method of forming the same. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a second construction and method of forming thesame. Figs. 10 and 11 show a third form of wire-connector, and Fig. 12 represents a fourth construction of wire-connector.

Fig. 1 shows the common form of doubletube copper-wire connector a, having square ends, with a line-wire w inserted into one tube and projecting through the opposite end, and 1.0 is the second line-wire inserted into the lower tube at the diagonal corner of the opposite end and projecting through the tube. Now when the connected wire is drawn along across or over the cross-ar1ns or other supports the shoulderss s catch upon the cor ners thereof and stop its progress, so that the wire has to be jerked, prodi'lcing a bend at its junction with the tubing (1, as shown in dotted lines, and in a short time a fracture is developed which ends in a break, causing scrious loss and damage.

Fig. 2 illustrates my invention, which consists in providing a connector which holds the wires in a parallel position as firmly and securely as in the old construction and with a curving or tapering shoulder S at each of the diagonal corners of the opposite ends of the tubes, with their sides rounded to con form in cross-section to the tubes, whereby the connected line-wire can be drawn over the edges and corners of any support without the liability of its catching.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and '7 illustrate a construction by which such a curving or sloping shoulder is produced. The connector is made oi. twotubes c and d of the same diameter and length, secured to each other longitudinally by soldering or brazing. Each tube has one end 6 brought to a point by spinning it down in a manner well understood, as shown in Fig. 6. The tubes are placed as shown in said figure and brazed together, at which time (or before, if thought best) the point e is forced to one side and brazed to the end of the opposite tube, as shown in Fig. 7, and when thus completed there is provided a connector having two parallel tubes closed at their op posite ends, which ends are provided with curving or tapering shoulders.

Figs. 8 and 9 show another means for closing the ends of the tubes. In the former figurea tube 0 is slipped over a mandrel f, which is then inserted between the open dies 9 and h, the upper one g being semicircular in crosssection, and when it is brought down upon the end of the tube it compresses and crumples the metal into a thick end, as shown in Fig. 9. Tubes thus formed are then brazed to each other.

In Figs. 10 and ll the connectingshcath c is of one tube having its opposite ends S S compressed, so that the openings at each end.

are of the size of the lineavire, into which the wires are inserted and the whole twisted.

Fig. 12 shows another means for closing the end of a tube and forming a tapering end. A solid piece of metal 1' of the proper shape is cast or otherwise produced having a reduced or shouldered end which extends into the tube and is then soldered or brazed in.

By means of these constructions a verysuperior connector'is formed, as the closure of one end of each tube reduces the chance of moisture entering the connector one-half, and therefore a much better contact and of the least possible resistance is produced.

I claim as my invention 1. A telegraph-wire connector consisting of two integral parallel tubes, the diagonal opposite ends of which are closed and having curving or tapering surfaces, as set forth.

A telegraplnwire connector consisting of 

